The Savannah tribune. [volume] (Savannah [Ga.]) 1876-1960, 1887-07-02
Educating Brave Boys.

From Scharf's Illustrated History of
the Confederate Navy, published by
w Il. Shepard 8 Co., of Atlanta, Ga,
we find very interesting history of the
Confederate Naval Academy. The school
started July ~, 1868, under the super
vision of Commander John NJ Brooke,
@. S. N, one of the most accomplished
sailors of his day, and he had an able
staff.
The staff remained almost intact until
the school persisted with the Confederacy.
In the summer of 1864, Lieut. o. F.
johnson relieved Lieut.. Hall as com
mandant of midshipmen in order that
the latter might devote more attention to
the instruction of the classes, and in No
vember, Lieut.. B. p. Loyal relieved
Lieut.. johnson. The only other change
of importance was that later Com. James
Henry Rochelle was ordered to the school
as commandant of midshipmen and exec
utive officer. AS far as the exigencies of
war would permit, the organization,
studies and discipline of the school were
modelled upon the curriculum of the
u. S. Naval Academy. Cadets were APP
pointed by members of Congress from
their respective districts and by the
President from the Confederacy at large,
and the school began work with fifty
acting midshipmen. They were required
to be not under fourteen nor over eight
cen years of age, and on the roll were
represented many of the most distln-
guished families of the South. After
passing physical examination and an
examination on such elementary studies
as reading, writing, spelling and the four
principles of arithmetic, they became
acting midshipmen and entered upon
their studies, which comprised six de-
partmonts and twenty-five branches,
1hgfe were four annual courses and the
: midghipmen were arranged into four
classes, each class pursuing one OF these
courses. The studies of the fourth class
embraced practical seamanship, naval
gunnery and artillery and infantry tao
tics, algebra to equations of the first de
gree, English grammar and descrp.,
tive geography; those of the third
class, practical seamanship, gunnery
and artillery and military tactics,
algebra, geometry plane and spher-
ical trigonometry, physical geography,
history and the French language; those
those of the second class, seamanship
and steam, gunnery and field artillery,
astronomy, navigation, application of al
zebra and trigonometry to mensuratlon
of planes and solids, political science and
French; those of the first class, seeman-
ship and naval tactics, gunnery, infantry
tactics, navigation, surveying, French
and Spanish
The Academic Board held examina-
tons in each June and December, and
the December examination was attended
by board of visitors, commanders, who
ascertained and decided upon the quail
fcations of the midshipmen for promo
ton; and as rapidly as the latter were
deemed proficient they were ordered to
ships, batteries, or other duty. The
Patrick Henry was usually stationed near
Drewry's Bluff, the scene of desperate
fighting, and by the time they were sent
to distant service they were versed IN the
practice as well as the theory of war. If
the routine of day was not broken by a
summons to man the guns on shore, or
do scouting, or take part in boat eXpedl-
tions, it was full of hard work on board.
The morning gun was fired at seven
o'clock, and at eight a breakfast of hard
tack and decoction of sweet potatoes
or beans that masqueraded as coffee was
served Sick call, studies and recitations
occupied the hours until two o'clock,
and then came dinner of salt junk,
perhaps mess Of vegetables, and the
Inevitable corn-meal that became a staple
article Of diet when wheat flour climbed
toward 81, 300 per barrel in Confederate
currency. School exercises and dress
parade took up the remainder Of the day
ended with tattoo at 030, and taps at
10 O'Clock. Near the close of the war,
when it became necessary to have the
boys on shore pretty much all the time
TO stand to the guns, they occupied huts
in the Drewry's Bluff batteries, Such a
training nourished and strengthened
their finest qualities, and it is not re-
markable that so many of them have
since risen to positions of great honor
and trust, and exemplifed the virtues
and worthy ambitions of civil life